Introspection And Metacognition

Written By Colēgia

Being able to reflect on our thoughts can be an extremely helpful technique. Thinking about thinking, or metacognition is a method that is commonly seen in classrooms. The benefit of this is that it can help us detect which thoughts need to be revised and which ones we can apply to any problems we're facing. One of the precursors to this is the art of introspection or “the examination of one's own mental or emotional processes.” Today we want to take a look and see how these tie into one another.

Introspective Thinking

Introspective thinking can be considered a means of self-observation where the goal is to examine ourselves. This can be through a combination of reflecting on our emotions, thoughts, behaviors, and experiences. The benefit of this is that it can help us break down any behaviors that aren't constructive so we can help work through any negative habits we have. It can also help us make peace with experiences that are affecting us so we can move past them. This type of thinking is often used in psychology as a way to help treat mental health. Meditation is a similar concept to this and both can work in harmony when applied properly. Introspective thinking can be thought of as reflecting on who we are so we can focus on the healing process or simply to promote understanding.

“Introspective thinking can be considered a means of self-observation where the goal is to examine ourselves.”

Metacognition And Thought

One of the key differences between these two concepts is that metacognition focuses exclusively on thought. The benefit of this is that it allows us to deeply consider how helpful our thinking process itself is. It can help us form a better foundation or even a better moral compass because it allows us to understand why we think the way we do. Just because we think one way, doesn't mean that it's right. Having the courage to reanalyze our thoughts can take a lot of effort at times. It requires us to be okay with reframing our point of view so we can have a healthier or more accurate outlook on ourselves and the world around us.

“One of the key differences between these two concepts is that metacognition focuses exclusively on thought.”

How to Apply Both

If introspection focuses more on our conscious experiences with ourselves and the world, and metacognition is focused mainly on thought, how do we apply these? There's a time and place where it's appropriate to view our thoughts in a vacuum such as with metacognition. This can help us break down patterns of thinking so we can form new and better ones. Likewise, we'll need to see how these can apply to the real world as well through the use of introspection. Just because something seems valid in our minds doesn't mean it's always practical to apply elsewhere. Learning how to make this distinguishment can take time but it can give us the right balance between thought and action. Our thoughts can help empower us in ways that allow us to take positive action but we need to have the right framework to do so.

Colēgia

Colēgia

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